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A Florida facility where two aboriginal girls sought natural treatment for leukemia is being sued by former staff, who allege they were illegally fired after raising concerns about “ethical transgressions in regard to the medical treatment of patients at the facility.”

The lawsuits, filed in Palm Beach County, allege that staff at the Hippocrates Health Institute, including its owners, were prescribing nutrients, vitamins and “various supplements” without a medical licence.

Lawsuits have been filed by four former employees and a doctor who was on contract with the facility from 2012 until Nov. 25, 2013. The doctor’s statement of claim alleges that his contract was terminated with improper notice shortly after he submitted a letter raising concerns about the centre’s operations.

“Dr. Mitchell Ghen notified the defendants in writing of several alleged violations, including but not limited to, unlicensed practice of medicine by non-licensed professionals,” reads the civil complaint filed in court. The Star received copies of the complaint as well as the responses from counsel for the complainants.

Four employees also allege they were terminated after alerting senior staff to problems they perceived in the operations, ranging from problems with prescribing treatment to issues with bookkeeping, according to Ilya Torchinsky, the lawyer acting for all of the plaintiffs.

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“The one thing they have in common is that they were all fired after they brought up clear violations of fair practices, whether it was a nurse that said I'm not going to be responsible for your actions, whether it's a bookkeeper that said the same, whether it's an assistant or whether it's Dr Mitchell Ghen himself,” said Torchinsky in a phone interview with the Star.

Hippocrates Health Institute denied all of the allegations contained in the lawsuits in its responses filed with court.

“I think you should check into those allegations before you assume that what you’re being told is correct,” co-director Brian Clement told a Star reporter before hanging up the phone.

A publications firm hired by the facility later released a statement attributed to Clement.

“While we are unable to go into detail about the pending litigation, we know these claims are completely false and without merit. We are proud of the role we've played for nearly 60 years in helping transform the minds, bodies and spirits of the thousands of guests we’ve served,” the statement read.

The lawsuits name the Hippocrates Health Institute and its directors, Clement and Anna Gahns-Clement. Two of the lawsuits include Ghen’s letter. All of the employees allege that Hippocrates violated Florida’s whistleblower protections by terminating them.

None of the allegations have been tested in court.

“Plaintiff Steven Pugh refused to participate in a scam under Florida law by prescribing supplements, etc. by unlicensed persons,” reads one complaint.

“All actions taken with regard to Plaintiff’s employment were based on legitimate business reasons wholly unrelated to any activity that is protected under the Florida’s Private Whistleblower’s Act,” states the response from Hippocrates filed with the court.

The centre rose to prominence north of the border after it was revealed that two aboriginal girls who have refused chemotherapy sought treatment at the Florida facility.

One, 11-year-old Makayla Sault, released an emotional video publicly declaring that she did not want to continue chemotherapy. The other 11-year-old’s name is under a publication ban as a result of a court battle involving McMaster Children’s Hospital, the family, the Brant Children’s Aid Society and the Six Nations band council.

The court decision, released Nov. 14, 2014, by Justice Gethin Edward, noted that the child was at an “alternative cancer treatment facility” in Florida during the hearing. Doctors from McMaster testified in the case, saying that chemotherapy had a 90 per cent chance of curing the type of leukemia from which the child is suffering.

Clement delivered a talk at Oshweken, on the Six Nations reserve near Brantford, on Oct. 6, 2014, according to an event listing on the Hippocrates website. The talk touted the “nutritional benefits of eating raw foods” and offered the chance to win a juicer.

In his official biography on the Hippocrates website, Clement says he is a “natural performer” and said that a friend had “heal(ed) herself from cancer through diet” said he was “born” to teach. The facility’s website outlines a variety of naturopathic treatments under its cancer care section, including “BioEnergy Field Intervention” and “Infrared Waves + Oxygen.” Among its treatment goals is “Utilizing Quantum Nutrition to Optimize Physiology.”

According to the public registry of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the facility was accredited as a “salon” until Nov. 30, 2014, when its accreditation expired.

The letter written by Ghen is included in the complaints of two other employees, who allege they were fired for echoing his concerns about unlicensed individuals providing medical care.

“HHI has many personnel, including you (Clement), Anna and several RNs prescribing nutrients/vitamins and other various supplements,” wrote Dr. Mitchell Ghen in a letter to the institute’s two directors.

“After we meet in the near future to discuss this important matter, we can work on protocols for all HHI employees that would meet the criteria and legalities of who can and cannot prescribe,” he wrote.

According to the complaints, Ghen’s contract was terminated Nov. 25, 2013, four days after the date on his letter.

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